New SsangYong Torres teased ahead of its official reveal, and it’s on the cards to come to Australia.
SsangYong’s forthcoming mid-size SUV has been christened the ‘Torres’. The car, which has had the codename ‘J100’ until now, gets its name from the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.
Accompanying the announcement are two rendered teaser images that offer a more realistic view of the car than the design sketches published previously; it’s a rugged-looking SUV that’s a big visual departure from anything in the current SsangYong line-up.
It still has the vertical grille slats, and what looks to be an integrated spare wheel carrier on the tailgate. The rear shot shows something similar to the Land Rover Defender’s optional side-mounted ‘Gear Carrier’, with the lid used to prop up a lantern; SsangYong seems to be pitching this as the ideal vehicle for those engaging in outdoor leisure activities. The Torres in the images also features smaller wheels than the vehicle depicted by the original sketches, wearing chunky off-road tyres.
SsangYong will begin production of the “tough and rugged” Torres this June for the South Korean market. One version will be an electric-only Torres codenamed ‘U100’, and it won’t launch until near the end of 2023. Ssangyong Australia is planning to launch the model locally, but details are very much in the air.
No technical specifications for the car have been announced, although the confirmation of both electric and combustion powertrains suggests it could use an adapted combustion-engined platform, much like the new Korando e-Motion. The Torres will slot between the Korando and the Rexton in SsangYong’s line-up.
The manufacturer has also previously said that it is developing an all-electric pick-up truck, which could end up being a derivative of the Torres.
Matt Robinson